Where to find driftwood for aquariums

Betapet Cichlid Growth Pellet 1. Driftwood can be more than just decorative in your fish tank or aquarium. For certain species of fish and aquatic life, specific driftwood types can help create an ideal water environment. Benefits of Driftwood include by potentially balancing the PH levels of your tank, promoting beneficial bacteria and slowly releasing natural tannins to boost your fish's immune system.

Driftwood and other natural decorations also give plenty of hiding places for your fish and can even act as a food source for select species. They are offered at super low prices. Great for aquascaping. They make your aquascapes pop like no other! Are you looking for top quality aquarium driftwood pieces? If so, BucePlant is where you want to go.

The other thing I love is this is the only vendor on our list that offers truck style driftwood. If you know anything about nature aquascape, truck style driftwood offers amazing forest like backdrops. All the pieces they offer are giant pieces. Make sure you take your measurements on your aquarium before purchasing. This is the some best quality driftwood you can buy online. It has a high price tag as a result and expect slower shipping times due to their size. Bonsai driftwood offers a unique looking background in your tank.

With the proper plants attached to it you can truly get a forest like look in your tank. These Bonsai Driftwood pieces offered for size are amazing looking in your aquarium. They have the added benefit of lowing your pH and softening your water, making them ideal for the vast majority of planted tank setups. Bonsai trees cans be different to aquascape. They require a high amount of touch not only to get the moss down correctly, but also to keep them well groomed.

If you are up for the challenge and want something stunning, this could be the wood piece for you! Backed by a quality brand name, this Mopani wood are high quality specimens that will show off in your display tank.

The Fluval name brand enters our list with their Mopani Wood product. This is the same Mopani Wood you saw me explain earlier, but backed by the Fluval name. The result is you get high quality specimens that are well picked by Fluval. They offer both small and large sizes so you can find the right size for your aquarium in their selection. The only thing I do not like is the Mopani wood itself. Mopani is notorious for its tannin leeching. Take your time to prep this wood and have your carbon ready if you want to use this driftwood.

They are great looking pieces if you can handle the tannin leeching. A throwback to the old bogwood setups. Koyal is a name brand and offers driftwood at competitive prices. However, these pieces are also great for aquariums. This product from Koyal reminds me a lot of the old bogwood pieces that used to be offered at fish stores.

There is also a Grapewood Branch variant that is offer that looks more like the the other driftwood pieces on this list. Given the popularity and supply of the product, they are offered at a competitive price. The major complaint with these have been the wood takes a long time to water log and there have been shipping mishaps.

If you are looking for budget driftwood these pieces from Hamiledyi are what you are looking for. They are ideal for smaller tanks and the pieces have good variation.

The price is very reasonable and wood is lightweight. Hamiledyi does not state the origin of this driftwood. From what we know from the review this is a high tannin count wood. It is likely this wood is a variation of Malaysian Driftwood, which is a common wood found at local fish store. Expect to sand down edges to make it smooth to the touch. If you are looking for wood for a shrimp tank, this is the product to buy. This Cholla Wood by NiloG is a great buy. It is cheap and your shrimp will love you for it as they feed off it all day.

Cholla is not for every fish tank. It decays fast and needs an inhabitant that will happily eat it while it decomposes. This is why they are ideal for shrimp like Cherry and Amano Shrimp as they will scavenge off the remains. There are two things we want to do to prep our driftwood for aquarium usage:. There are two options two achieve both. One would be soaking the driftwood. Examine: Once saturated, check over the wood one more time.

Make sure to remove or sand sharp edges or pieces that may cause injury to your fish. Place: Place the driftwood in your aquarium wherever you want to see it live. If the wood still floats, then repeat step 3 again. Examine: Thoroughly check the wood over for parasites, sharp edges, fungi, and other obvious issues. Quick Scrub: Use a clean brush to scrub the wood with clean water. This does not have to be a thorough scrubbing, just enough to remove dirt and fungal spores and get a better look at the wood.

Boil: Boil the driftwood until it is thoroughly saturated with water. This will keep the wood from floating when you attempt to put it into your tank. Depending on the size of the piece of wood and the type of wood, you may only need to boil it for 30 minutes or you may need to boil it for multiple hours. Keep a close eye on the wood while it is boiling to ensure the water level stays up. Top the water off as needed. Carefully monitor the wood to prevent a fire or scorching of the wood.

Boiling will help kill off any spores, parasites, or bacteria that may be present on or in the wood, including things that are not visible. Cool: Allow the wood to thoroughly cool before you attempt to handle it. Running it under cool water or placing it in an ice bath will help it cool faster. Examine: Once you are satisfied with the boiling and cooling of the wood, examine the wood again.

Check for any loose or splintering areas of wood that the boiling may have uncovered. Remove or sand these areas until smooth. Place: Put the wood into your aquarium wherever you want it to sit. If it still tries to float, then repeat steps 3 and 4 again. Putting it in an awkward place or having to move it around could stress your fish. Remove any bark, moss, or lichens Cure your driftwood until tannins stop discoloring the water unless you want this to happen. Use a filter containing activated carbon or a chemical filter such as Purigen to help clarify your water if tannins are discoloring it.

Select a piece of softwood to go in your aquarium. Use any cleaning products, soap, or detergent when cleaning. Skip the sterilizing step Forget that driftwood can lower the pH in your tank and you need to check levels accordingly. Written By: Lindsey Stanton Lindsey discovered her passion for fish keeping after a junior high school field trip to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. If your goal is to enhance your underwater aquascape and add beautiful live plants that thrive on rock and driftwood, you should consider a few of the pieces from our collection.

Driftwood is also the perfect choice to improve the growth and development of your fish. Once driftwood is submerged it releases tannins which, in turn, provide antifungal and antimicrobial elements to the environment that keep diseases and viruses at bay. Modern Aquarium can offer you a number of styles, sizes, and specimens of driftwood to help you customize your waterscape.